I.—lo.

39

,T. G. LAUEENSON.

201. Whether the price you fix is exorbitant or reasonable, under your rules you would still have to refuse to buy flour from a miller if he did not support that price ? —That man has got his remedy. He can become a member of our union, and if he thinks we are charging too high he can talk the matter over with us and show us that we are acting wrongly. 202. How many bakers are there in Dunedin who are not members of your union?— Two. 203. Are they cash bakers, or do they deliver? —They do both. One is a baker, and the other is really a grocer. 204. And what charge do they fix as compared with your union ?—They are like insects—they are parasites. 205. What do they charge ?—Anything they can get. For instance, in the case of one man his own foreman was charged our full price, whereas people in the next street were being charged Id. a loaf less. This man is not the grocer I referred to. 206. Steven and Co. left the association in March last ? —Yes. 207. Do you know whether before they left the association your union had a good deal of comment about it ?—Yes. 208. You knew they had to give three months' notice, of course ?—Yes. 209. You stated that one reason why you had trouble with Steven and Co. was in consequence of Mr. Dall ?—Yes. 210. Has the trouble over Mr. Dall's personality occurred since Steven and Co. left the association ?—No. 211. Did it exist before, or how did it find expression?— The members who have a personal grievance against Mr. Dall did not have a chance of coining in contact with him while his firm was in the association. 212. And before the trouble with Steven and Co., did you have any trouble with Mr. Dall?— No; he is a personal friend of mine. 213. Then, you only know of his unpopularity by hearsay?— Yes. 214. Did you find anything objectionable about him at all in the way of transacting business ? —Not as far as I am concerned. 215. Has not the objection to Steven and Co.'s salesman really arisen only since they severed their connection with the trust? —No. 216. And yet you do not know, of your own knowledge, of any objection to him existing before ?—The objections I have heard I should be very sorry to give here. 217. Is be the only objectionable salesman calling on the bakers in Dunedin?—Yes. 218. He is the only man outside the association?— Yes, in the city. 219. You are on fairly good terms with the Flour-millers' Association, I suppose ? —Yes. 220. You are working very harmoniously together ?—Yes, as far as I know. 221. Have you waited on the association on account of the undercutters at any time ? What would you do in such a case? What kind of communication would you have with the Flourmillers' Association? —We would go down to see Mr. Morton, and have a word with him ; then, he would go and reason with the man complained of, and show him the error of his ways. 222. Would he not tell the man that he would not supply him with flour ? What would you expect him to say?—We should expect him to go and advise the man. We believe in equality for all. 223. Equality for all except undercutters?—Yes. 224. Has your union had any financial assistance from the association? —No. 225. Mr. Mirams stated in evidence, and showed us by his minute-book, that the union had received in the aggregate £50 from the Millers' Association ? —That is not so. 226. From whom, then, was the subscription?— The Otago millers. 227. Were there any of those Otago millers who were not members of the Flour-millers' Association ?—I could not tell you that if I tried. The cheque came from Mr. H. Harroway on behalf of the Otago millers. 228. What was it supposed to be for ? —We were in financial difficulties. It takes a considerable amount to run our union, and we were very poor. We had not sufficient money to pay our secretary. Another reason was this : that in years gone by when we were trading independently it was the usual custom for a miller to give his customers a little Christmas-box, but under the association that custom was done away with. The result was that the millers made up that £50 for us. We said it was only fair that they should give a little assistance to our union. 229. When did you tell them that it was only fair that they should give a little assistance to your union ? —W 7 e told them so last year. 230. Where were you when you told them this?—ln Mr. Harroway's office. 231. Were any other millers there ?—Mr. Gow might have been there. 232. What mill did he represent ?—His own mill; and Mr. McGill was also there. 233. What mill did he represent ? —His own mill. 234. Did any one represent the Flour-millers' Association ?—I do not think so. 235. When did you get that cheque ?—I could not give you the exact date. 236. Was it not in March, 1903 ?—No, it was not in March. 237. When was it ?—I could not tell you. 238. As a matter of fact, was it not after Steven and Co. had withdrawn from the combination ? —I do not know. If you had asked Mr. Mirams, he could have given you that. 239. Your memory has been pretty clear this morning : I will ask you whether you do not remember that that contribution from the Otago millers was made to the Bakers' Union after Steven and Co. had notified their withdrawal from the association ?—lt might have been. They had to give three months' notice of their withdrawal. 240. Give me a straight answer?—l dare say it was within the three months.